The Sprout
The
Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 163 Winter
2021
The Sprout
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Directors: Janet Bartlam, Judi Bolder, John Clements,
Michael Cockman, Ag MacKeith, Robin Palmer
Editor
Ag MacKeith
South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452 Editor@TheSprout.org.uk
Advertising Manager
Michael Cockman
50, St Paul's Crescent OX2 9AG Te l : 07766 317691 Adverts@TheSprout.org.uk
Deliveries
Bhee Bellew and Robin Cox
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Sprout on a regular basis. Just take out a postal subscription only £12 per annum,
delivered to your door. Contact: Carol Kramer 01865 243002.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this
newsletter, mistakes may happen. The Editor and Team apologize unreservedly for
any errors that may occur and will do their best to correct them. This publication is not
a vehicle of the parish council, and parish councillors working with the Sprout do so in
a personal capacity. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual
contributors.
All concerned in the production and delivery of The Sprout are unpaid volunteers.
The Sprout is printed by Dataprint Ltd, and published by North
Hinksey Parish Publications Ltd, (a company limited by
guarantee) Registration No. 05609535.
It can also be found online at BotleyHinksey.org.uk
The Sprout
Issue 163, Winter 2021
Contents
3 Letters to the Editor
5 Christmas Hampers
6 Remembrance day 2021
7 Friends of Raleigh Park
11 Counselling Carers
13 15th Scouts Out and About
15 News from Botley School
17 Seacourt Hall
19 For the Love of Trees
23 New Community Lottery
23 Your Distr ict Councillors
25 Roy Newport a Tribute
29 Kennington Memory Club
29 Anglican Xmas Services
31 Botley Patients Group
35 Green Shoots
37 Planning Applications
38 Randoms
38 Local Organizations
From the Editor
Christmas is coming, and now’s our chance to bring some festive
cheer to local families who are feeling the pinch. Botley Bridges is
organizing family hampers. To apply for one, or to donate to one,
see page 5. See page 29 for Anglican Christmas services. For
others, phone numbers on inside back cover. Green issues
continue to dominate: there’s a letter defending garden parking
(p.3), an article about trees (p19), some signs of hope in our area
(p35) and information about Sustainable Botley, our new local
group to combat climate change (p6). Elsewhere, District
Councillors announce a new Community Lottery (p23), Friends of
Raleigh Park have had a productive year (p7), as have 15th Scouts
(p13), carers can now get some help (pp 11 and 29), and Seacourt
Hall needs a treasurer/ secretary (p17). A much loved local figure is
remembered on page 25, and the Patients Participation Group has
some practical advice on getting the best out of our local medical
practice (p31). The Sprout Delivery team is stepping down after ten
years on the job. Their role is vital we will need a replacement for
our next issue, which will be in February. Please get in touch if you
can help. Meanwhile, a very Happy Christmas to all our readers.
Ag MacKeith
Letters to the Editor
Front garden parking
The last two editions of the Sprout have contained some rather one-
sided reporting on the subject of Front Garden Parking, that I think
needs challenging with a bit of pragmatism.
I too like the look of a nice front garden and it certainly has
wildlife benefits I'm sure, but car ownership is unfortunately a fact of
modern life and turning your front garden into a car park has
benefits:
o It reduces on-road parking, which can cause disruption to bus
services and emergency vehicles.
o It reduces parking on grass verges, which turns them into
muddy puddles and restricts pavement access for the disabled
in particular.
o Parking on the road and verges is dangerous for pedestrians,
especially children, as it creates blind spots when crossing the
road.
Going forward, front garden parking is more likely to increase, too,
because a lot of Elms Rise houses have driveways that are too
narrow for modern cars and actually most are shared drives anyway.
Couple that with the emerging need to charge your electric vehicle,
and I am really struggling to see how this can be achieved
otherwise. Extension leads across the pavements?
So, yes I can absolutely see the point, but there has to be balance
and pragmatism. How about a bit of "offset" with some of the lovely
rear gardens hidden behind those houses with front garden
parking?
Dave F.
Green Guide
I received the "Local green guide'' with the November Sprout.
But why such a tiny hard-to-read font?
Well meaning, I suppose, but rendered almost impractical by being
inaccessible to many.
A. Curmudgeon
Christmas Hampers for local families on low income
All hampers to be delivered by December 23rd
Botley Bridges Family Support, The Community Larder and Food for
Charities are again working together to spread some Christmas
cheer to local families in Cumnor, Botley and West Oxford. Last
year we distributed over 100 hampers, brimming with a variety of
food and gifts, all donated, packed and delivered by local volunteers.
With the continuing pressure on family incomes and rising prices
many families find Christmas a difficult time.
We are looking to our local community to spread some
Christmas cheer. Can you donate?
Dried food
Fresh fruit- oranges/bananas/ dates/ pineapple
Christmas treats
Wrapped gifts for children or adults - with a removable label
saying what the gift is and age/ sex it is suitable for
Non alcoholic drinks
Donations can be dropped off at St Peter and St Pauls Church Hall,
Botley on Tuesday 21st December from 10-4pm. If you cannot drop
off at these times please email sue@botleybridges.org to arrange an
alternative venue and time. If you would like to volunteer to take in
deliveries, pack hampers or deliver please contact Sue Dowe as
above, or phone on 07769 275084.
Requests for a hamper from households on a low income can
be made by adults in the household or by adults on behalf of a
household by one of the following methods:
1. Online: the link will be on the Botley Bridges website at the
end of November www.botleybridges.org
2. Download a form from the Botley Bridges website and e- mail
to sue@botleybridges.org
3. Complete a form and hand it in to your school or pre-school
schools will have hard copies available.
Thank you.
Sue Dowe, Chair of Trustees, Botley Bridges
Remembrance Day 2021
Following last year’s small scale NHPC Remembrance Day Service
due to Covid-19 restrictions, this year’s event returned to its normal
much larger format. It was fantastic to see such a high degree of
participation from so many military and civilian organisations, and of
course from local parishioners.
For the Council it was a great honour to have Claire Horton, OBE,
attending her first local Remembrance event since taking up her role
as Director General of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission,
and likewise a
privilege to have
Her Honour Ann
Campbell
representing the
Lord Lieutenant
of Oxfordshire.
We were grateful
to three Royal
Logistics
Regiment based
at Dalton
Barracks for
providing the
Honour Guard,
and for attendance by military representatives from further afield,
shown here laying the wreaths. . It was very satisfactory to see the
widespread participation by younger members of the community,
too, in including pupils from Matthew Arnold School who read so
eloquently during the Service, the musical contribution made by
members of the Oxfordshire Youth Brass Ensemble and the
presence of local Scout and Guiding groups. The active involvement
of these and other young person organisations is critical to
continuing the tradition. Particular thanks are also due to Max
Carter, who again played the Last Post at the 11th hour on the 11th
day in the West Way shopping complex. Finally, thank you to
everyone who contributed on the day to the British Legion, raising
over £250, and to the Botley W.I., who refreshed us afterwards with
hot drinks and home made biscuits.
Cllr Graham Fairclough
Friends of Raleigh Park
The Friends of Raleigh Park held their AGM on 11th November, by
Zoom for the second year. While COVID may have reduced the
number of events in the Park, there has been no lack of activity and
progress. This article summarizes the reports presented at the
meeting; fuller details will be found on the Friends’ website
(www.raleighpark.org.uk).
We offered many congratulations to Judy Webb, our ecological
champion, who was recognised first by inclusion in the Woman’s
Hour Power List for 2020, and subsequently by the award of the
British Empire Medal for services to Oxfordshire wildlife. We also
remembered Sue Cassettari, whose work on the Forest School at
North Hinksey Primary School was closely linked to the Park; the
Friends were glad to be able to contribute to the funding of a
memorial bench, which is now in the Forest School area.
The Wild Oxford Project, which has brought so much change to the
Park since 2016, has shifted its focus from direct work to the support
of local groups. The Friends will be working with the Friends of
Rivermead in the organisation of work parties, with Adam Bows as
our Volunteer co-ordinator, using tools donated by BBOWT. Andy
Gunn will still be our BBOWT patron, and will continue to provide the
expert advice that has served us so well. The City Council
volunteers will also continue to work in the Park under the
leadership of Carl Whitehead. We are already seeing the results of
the two/year project by the Freshwater Habitats Trust to rewet the
main fen by retaining the water which previously flowed through and
out of the Park. Rob d’Ayala has constructed some impressive leaky
dams, which have already restored many dry areas to their original
wetland state. The City Council have upgraded some of the Park
gates for better access. The Badger vaccination project, agreed at
our 2019 AGM, has finally started up in the Park and the grazing
field adjacent to it, which Barbara Witkowski reported on.
A lot of effort has gone into documenting the biodiversity of the Park.
Building on Judy Webb’s Wild Oxford reports, Adam Bows has
conducted a two-year project to assess the effect of management on
Wild Oxford sites, comparing Raleigh Park with Lye Valley and
Chilswell Valley. His results show significant increases in water
quality and fen flora in all sites, limited in Raleigh Park only by the
activity of the grazing cattle in munching through the years flower
production, with knock-on effect for numbers of pollinators and
nectar-feeding insects. There have been some notable successes,
including the reintroduction of the rare Grass of Parnassus which
had not been documented in the area since the Seventeenth
Century. The City Council are looking at innovative ways of
restricting the cattle’s movements, to protect flowering plants in
future years. The richness of invertebrate species was documented
by a study funded by the Freshwater Habitats Trust, which found a
wide range of species in the fen, including nationally rare insects,
particularly in the Long Southwestern Fen, also known as the
Ton g u e, wh i ch h as o nl y re ce n tl y be e n o p en e d up to m an a g em e n t
work. Our programme of supporting the bird population has
continued. Clive Smith reported on the birdboxes he has installed
and maintained, which have been well used by great tits and blue
tits, and the feeding station, now fully protected against squirrel
incursions, is back in operation. As well as small birds, buzzards
have been sighted over the Park, and Tawny Owls were seen
watching the early morning stages of the badger vaccination.
Development on the fringes of the Park continues to threaten its
stability. The Friends, with support from all the Wild Oxford
stakeholders, are actively contesting a proposal to build three large
houses on the most important part of the rainwater catchment area
of the fen, which would also require the destruction of a large badger
sett. We are grateful to Cllr Debby Hallett, to North Hinksey Parish
Council, and to Harold Grant for their help.
Our website, ably managed by David Brown, is now being
supplemented by regular Twitter posts using the hashtags
#raleighpark and #raleighparkoxford. Watch out in particular for
Adam’s sightings of exotic fungi, and his dialogues with Judy Webb
on plant identification...
Our thanks go as ever to Julian Cooper and Carl Whitehead of the
City Council Parks department, to Judy Webb who has been a
constant source of wisdom and advice, to Ellie Mayhew and the
Freshwater Habitats Trust, and to BBOWT and Andy Gunn. It is now
ten years since the Friends were founded, and we have seen many
changes in our beloved Park. We look forward to helping it continue
to flourish and provide pleasure to the community in the next ten
years. Stephen Parkinson
Counselling Carers Launches in Botley
Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed? That no-one really
understands what your life is like? All too often life can get on top of
us and we need someone to walk alongside us for a while, hearing
our pain, helping us through tough choices and to move forward.
As a Botley-based counsellor and psychotherapist with a personal
caring role, I have experienced first-hand the lack of emotional and
mental health support for carers, and the burden they carry alone
when there is no support in place. It was this crossover between my
personal and professional life that inspired me to do more to support
the most vulnerable in our society by caring for their carers, who
may themselves be struggling to process a loved-one’s diagnosis, or
the relentless everyday demands of care, and whose own difficulties
are often overlooked.
Caring for another person can be extremely rewarding, and most
carers are motivated by love and compassion. However, without
adequate support they can burn out and struggle to cope. At any
one time, 1 in 4 people in the UK is suffering with a mental health
problem. This is especially true for carers, who are often balancing
their own needs with those of the people they look after. They may
feel overwhelmed, depressed or anxious, but their responsibilities
mean they put their own mental health needs to one side. And so,
having got together as a dedicated group of other carers and
professionals, we decided to do something about it.
After many months of discussions (and paperwork!), Counselling
Carers was born: a social enterprise that specialises in counselling
and psychotherapy for carers. This includes those caring for
disabled or elderly relatives, children with Special Educational
Needs, adults with learning disabilities, Looked After Children, and
those who work in the caring professions. We support people of all
ages and from all walks of life, giving confidential space to talk to a
qualified professional about the struggles they face.
Whether you are young or old, have recently become a carer, or
have been one for years, Counselling Carers is here to help. We
give you space to process your feelings, find healing, and be em-
powered to be resilient. To find out more visit our website
www.counsellingcarers.org or give us a call on 07309 255133.
Jenny Pillar
15th Scouts Out and About
With Christmas nearly here and being outside feeling like a distant
memory, we look back at the 15th Oxford Summer of Scouting.
The pinnacle of our year and every leaders favourite week of
Scouting is our annual Summer Camp, which this year took place at
Hill End. In a large field complete with fire pit, we took 10 Scouts and
6 Cubs away to sleep under canvas. For most this was not only their
first night in a tent but also their first night away from their parents!
Here is how one Scout summed it up:
As a first time camper with the 15th this is my record of all the
ups and downs (not that there were any downs, it was great)
and the great experience. For 4-and-a-bit days we camped in a
field at Hill End. The Cub pack even came for a day. We all
learned a lot of important life skills. We cooked our own food
and put up our own tents. Afterwards I felt a lot more
independent. I don’t think a better learning experience for
children of a wide variety of ages exists.
And thats without mentioning the obstacle courses they completed,
the climbing wall, silly sports, practical first aid, pioneering, team
building, glow-stick games in the dark and much more!
This year we embarked on a trip into Oxford with the Scouts and a
few Cubs. The day started with a treasure hunt, taking in many
landmarks and tourists spots, with questions and clues along the
way to test their observation skills. Time was spent in the Ashmolean
Museum, which inevitably turned into ‘ghost stories’ as we passed
the Ancient Egyptian Mummies. This was followed by a refreshment
break at the Westgate Social, with the Cubs putting into practice
their recently learned Money Skills badge. Lastly was a round of
Junkyard Golf, with the consensus being that more ‘sports’ should
use UV lights and cheesy 90’s disco music to attract a younger
audience.
It’s amazing what we at the 15th Oxford Scouts can fit into a Friday
evening, a day trip or weekend away, or week long camp. For more
info, or if you or someone you know wants to get involved, check out
our website https://sites.google.com/site/15thoxfordscouts/
Tom F reem an
News from Botley School
You may not know it, but Botley School has amazing outdoor places
a huge field, a nature reserve, an adventure grove and an area of
woodland. The children have the chance to learn and play outside
on a regular basis, and even more so this year. Two members of
staff have completed their Forest School training (based at Hill End
Outdoor Education Centre) and as a result, each class from Nursery
to Year 6, now has an afternoon a week for half a term exploring and
learning outdoors in their Forest School sessions. The autumn has
been particularly fun with scavenging activities and a pumpkin trail.
There are plans to develop the children’s skills as they progress
through the school, with den building, use of tools and fire lighting on
the agenda. And as far as mental health and well-being is
concerned, what could be better than a scamper and game in the
colourful autumn leaves?
If you would like your child to have fun in Forest School then it's that
time of year when our EYFS team are supporting parents in applying
for a school place, ready for their child to start in September 2022.
For those children who were born between 1st September 2017 and
31st August 2018, parents are now able to apply for their Reception
school place through the OCC website. We have two open events
for prospective parents, on Thursday 2nd December and Thursday
6th January, from 3.45pm. We are
inviting parents into school to have a
tour of the school and meet our
EYFS staff perhaps a look around
our grounds? We will have a
meeting to discuss what our school
is like and provide support for
applying for a school place. If you
are interested in attending these
events, please email our EYFS lead
Laura Jones for details on:
earlyyears@botley.oxon.sch.uk
Karen and Adam, Forest School
Leaders
The tented area in Forest School
Secretary / Treasurer for Seacourt Hall
Seacourt Hall Management Committee (SHMC) is looking for
someone to take on the role of Secretary and Treasurer. The role
receives an honorarium of £1000 a year plus £10 a month for
miscellaneous costs.
Seacourt Hall moved to its new location in West Way Square at the
start of 2020 and, following the interruptions of lockdowns, the
operation has now settled into a stable routine and the hall is thriving
as a flexible community facility at the centre of Botley.
The Treasurers job is to help trustees carry out their financial
responsibilities. Accounts are based on the bank account. The
payroll is outsourced and there are only a few invoices to be paid
each month. Hire invoices are sent out from our online booking
system.
The Secretary role involves setting up and minuting 4 to 6 meetings a
year, being the point person for contact with the Charity commission,
and acting as the custodian of our governing document.
The combined role of Secretary and Treasurer would suit someone
with some accounting, finance or similar experience, a good
understanding of financial management and reporting. There is more
information about Seacourt Hall here www.seacourt hall.org.uk.
Initially please send expressions of interest to Lorna Berrett,
Chairman of Trustees, at lberrett.nhpc@gmail.com
For the Love of Trees
Every Autumn, people
re-connect with trees.
They gather the ripe nuts
and fruits, which
sustained our ancestors
throughout the bleak
months when little food
was available.The
turning leaves create an
explosion of russet, red
and gold, but then they
fall, leaving behind black
skeletons. We will miss them until the spring. The ugly old sheds
and raw new buildings that were hidden all year are now clearly
visible.
Britain in the distant past was a place of trees. Not the deep dark
forest of fairytales, but wood pasture with areas of open grassland
where animals foraged. The trees provided wood for building and
fuel for fires. Our world-renowned navy was built with wood from
thousands of oaks. The Industrial Revolution felled thousands more.
In Britain, the percentage of land covered by trees is now smaller
than in any other European country. Every year more trees are
destroyed by disease, and by the advancing tide of development.
Movement of goods brought in the fungus which wiped out our Elm
trees. Now millions of Ash trees are being destroyed by Ash
Dieback. We may not be able to control disease, but we can fight
insensitive planning decisions, and make sure those trees which
have been lost are replaced.
Planting trees is relatively easy. Making sure that they survive is a bit
more of a problem. They need lots of water and tending in the early
stages. The hot summers that are now common in Britain are
creating drought conditions that can kill off newly planted trees. In
the cold months, they may die of exposure. The best way to protect
them is to surround them with nursery shrubs, as is now the norm in
planted sections of supermarket carparks. It works, and the flocks of
birds, like Waxwings, which descend on them in the Winter are very
grateful.
In Blenheim High Park, there are ancient Oaks, alive since the time
of William the Conqueror. Cumnor Fit4Future (www.cumnorf4f.org/
ancient-oak-tree-survey) has a project to find and record all the
ancient Oaks in their parish.
In Scotland, tree replacement is taken seriously: old patches of
native trees are being connected up by new planting. I had the
privilege to plant Scots Pines on denuded hillsides at the Trees For
Life site at Dundreggan. It was hard physical work, but very
rewarding. Fencing keeps out the deer (which love to eat the young
bark) until the trees have become established, and the programme
is very successful.
The Woodland Trust is putting a lot of effort into protecting existing
woodland and planting up new ones. It is much better to expand an
old wood than to create a completely new one because the
woodland ecosystem is already in place. But woodland needs
management. To get a floral carpet in the Spring, there must be
enough light reaching the forest floor. Climate change has meant
that the leaves appear a little bit earlier every year and this creates
unwelcome shading. One day it may have an adverse effect on the
glorious swathes of bluebells that we can experience locally at
Shotover Plain and Besselsleigh Wood.
Trees are carbon dioxide sponges. They take it in through their
pores and convert it into leaves and wood, forming a store of locked-
up carbon. So, the more trees the better. But they have to be the
right trees in the right place. The Oak trees in St Paul’s Crescent are
a delight. They look magnificent and bring in flocks of birds like the
beautiful blue Jay to feast on their acorns.
An Oak tree in a suburban garden may not be such a good idea
because of its size. Smaller ’hedgerow’ trees will fit in much
better,like the new Bird Cherry tree behind the new signage
opposite McDonalds. This not only a very pretty tree with blossom
that enhances a rather bleak patch of short grass, but the birds and
insects will benefit. Indeed, if you want birds to inhabit an area, you
must have trees preferably growing in dense hedges. They are
essential as nest sites and places to forage for food. Chris Church
has ordered up a stash of ‘whips’ single thin stems that will be
trees after a year or two for planting in and around Botley on
December 5th. Did you join him last year? If not, here’s another
chance. Louie Memorial Upper Field, December 5th, 11am.
But, it has to be said, not everyone is equally keen on trees. Some
people like neat and tidy and become upset about leaves falling on
their carefully mown lawns. If a tree is too tall, it might cut out light
from a window, so that daytime lighting is necessary. But tree shade
can be welcome where too much light falls on a window. We will
need more of such shade as the summers become fiercer. Trees
planted around a house will keep it cooler in the summer. And the
local birds will love you for it
Linda Losito
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Community Lottery
The White Horse Community Lottery is an exciting
weekly lottery, set up by the Vale of White Horse
District Council. You can buy tickets which are £1
each to be in with a chance of winning cash and
other prizes, but more importantly, this lottery is
designed to raise much needed funds for charities
and initiatives that benefit local people.
Whether you are part of an organisation looking for funds, or
someone interested in playing the lottery to help the good causes
registered, you can find out more at www.whitehorselottery.co.uk
District Councillor Surgery Dates
Face-to-face District Councillor Surgeries are starting up again.
Residents are invited to drop by to speak to Cllrs Emily Smith and
Debby Hallett about any council matters at the following event:
The surgery on Friday Dec 3rd, will once again be held at the
Missing Bean Café, West Way Square, Botley, from 1:303pm.
If you need to reach Emily or Debby you can get in touch with them
at any time via debby.hallett@whitehorsedc.gov.uk, 07545 241013
Roy Newport a Tribute
Roy was born in the Spring of
1937. His childhood along with
his two brothers and two
sisters was coloured by the
deprivations of wartime and
shaped by hard family
circumstances. He grew up in
West Street, Osney, in a
house without running hot
water or indoor sanitation.
Although he could have
avoided National Service, his
mother encouraged him to
take this opportunity to
broaden his horizons. There
are many stories from his time
in Germany, and especially his
time in Cyprus during the
conflict there. His attachment to the military and to those who
serve veterans continued throughout his life and he gave
outstanding service at this time of year to the Royal British
Legion, standing out in all weathers to sell poppies as both an
act of fundraising but also of respect. His last collection,
outside Waitrose, netted £2,271 the tins were almost too
heavy to carry!
Roy had left school at 14 and after National Service returned
to working for his uncle’s firm where, training with experienced
craftsmen, he learned a range of building trades and skills. He
spent the last 25 years of his working life at the Radcliffe
Infirmary in the maintenance team, where he was widely
known and appreciated, not only as one able to turn his hand
to so many different jobs, but also as a good colleague who
enjoyed a laugh and joke.
When, in the 1980s, the local County Councillor recruited a
leader to re-start a youth club in Botley, she advertised for
volunteers and both Roy and Briony responded. Within a
month the Youth Leader had left and Roy took over and
continued for the next decade.
Practical service and a willingness to take on responsibility
without fuss were hallmarks of so many of the roles Roy
undertook. He was a member of Botley Baptist Church for
more than thirty years, a Deacon and for many years helping
with the Saturday coffee shop, with Jumble Sales and
providing all manner of practical support for the Church and
the Community. He was a founder member of the Sprout, and
organized the deliveries for the first five years. He also helped
found the original Botley Health Walks, in response to the then
Government’s Look After Your Heart campaign.
His sporting interests stretched from football, playing for the
county youth team and for around 15 years for the Gas
Company Team, to darts and bowls. These latter interests
continued until ill-health curtailed them.
As for Roy and Briony, she was just 16 when they met and
they were married a couple of years later in 1959. The
marriage lasted for 62 years. She would say it was a
relationship of opposites. I’m not so sure, different
personalities, true enough. But so much shared commitment to
family, to friends and to community. Devoted, loving, support-
ive and generous in so many ways; an example to us all.
And for Roy a supporting role for his energetic wife in public
perhaps, but the final arbiter in private. He may not have said
much but when he spoke matters were settled. A man of great
emotional intelligence making it easy for family members and
those in the wider community to turn to him to seek advice, to
unburden or just to find a friendly listener.
Uncomplaining and resolutely cheerful he coped with failing
health as he had coped with all other hardships and setbacks:
with quiet determination and humour. A very special man.
[taken from Nigel Appleton’s funeral address]
Kennington Memory Club has had a busy autumn. As well as run-
ning the twice weekly daycare sessions for people with a diagnosis
of dementia, there have been two fund-raising events: a Cream Tea
and Sale of Goods on a Saturday afternoon in Kennington with lots
of yummy scones and cakes; and more recently an Autumn Fayre in
Abingdon. Both of these were well supported which was gratifying
for those organising and volunteering to help out. Would you like to
join our band of volunteers for these events? They are great fun and
so rewarding. The club couldn’t make ends meet without on-going
fund-raising, so any ideas for new events would be welcome.
You dont have to live in Kennington to join us. Our members come
from a much wider area, including Botley, Cumnor and Boars Hill. So
if you are interested in a place for a relative or friend with a diagno-
sis of dementia from anywhere within reach of Kennington please do
get in touch with our organiser, Helen, on 07852 883496 or visit our
website www.kenningtonmemory club.org.uk
Happy Christmas and New Year to you all.
Isobel Birse
Local Anglican Christmas Services
Sunday 19th December
6.00pm Carols by Candlelight at St. Lawrence, North Hinksey
Christmas Eve, 24th December
9.30am Morning Prayer at St. Peter and St. Paul, West Way, Botley
4.30pm Christingle Service at St. Peter and St. Paul.
11.30pm Midnight Communion at St. Lawrence, North Hinksey
Christmas Day, 25th December
9.30am Holy Communion at St. Peter and St. Paul
11.30am Holy Communion at St. Lawrence
Boxing Day, Sunday 26th December
9.30am Holy Communion at St. Peter and St. Paul.
Day Centre News
Getting Help at Botley Medical Centre
A Short Guide
The Patients Participation Group has been working with the Botley
Medical Centre as it seeks to improve its service.
Here is a short guide to help patients during this time:
1. Use a Livi appointment if you can. These are being under-used
currently, so please do download the app onto your smart phone
or your computer and give it a go if you think it might work for
you. (https://www.livi.co.uk/download/)
You can have a Livi appointment at the weekend or in the evening
as well as during normal surgery times, and you can forward book
them too. Livi GPs are trained in our local healthcare system. They
can do anything your usual GP can do, but they do it online,
including making referrals, issuing prescriptions to a chemist near
you, issuing fit (formerly sick) notes and organizing blood or urine
tests if you need one.
Please do ensure we have the correct contact details for you if you
are using these appointments, so we can get in touch with you if a
follow-up is needed. You can update them yourself here:
https://www.mysurgery website.co.uk/secure/cod.aspx?p=K84025
Also, please note that you will not be contacted about test results if
they are normal, only if you need to have a follow up discussion. If
you install the NHS app then you can also check your results
yourself.
2. Book appointments with Clinicians rather than the GPs if you
can, as there are other Clinicians at the practice who can help, as
described in the October update. Please do accept an
appointment with a Clinician rather than a GP if the receptionist
suggests it. It is better to call in the afternoon if you know you
need to book an appointment with someone other than a GP.
3. Order your repeat prescription through your pharmacy or at
the surgery in plenty of time, but no more than a week in
advance for safety reasons. Please be aware that GPs are not
able to issue certain medications more than 48 hours in advance.
4. Book Covid-19 jabs through the NHS website
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-
vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/
You can choose where to receive it (could be the Kassam Stadium,
a pharmacy or somewhere else in Oxfordshire). Appointments come
up at different times so it is worth checking again if you have not
been able to find one suitable the first time you look. The PPG may
be able to help with lifts after you have secured an appointment. You
can also ‘walk-in’ to Kassam between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the
moment, provided it is more than 6 months and a day since your
second vaccination
Our next PPG meeting (by Zoom) is on Tuesday December 14 at 6
p.m. The subject: 'What your pharmacy has to offer' contact me at
csugden@ocrpl.org for a link. Chris Sugden
Green Shoots
Thames Water made to pay
People concerned about sewage pollution in the Seacourt Stream
will be pleased to hear that Thames Water was fined £6 million at
Aylesbury Crown Court on 19th November. The judge described
their actions in polluting the river in 2016 as ‘reckless’. TW agreed
they had not sufficiently maintained the local sewage system. They
only had to pay two thirds of the fine as they had admitted liability
last March. In the grand scheme of things, this was not a lot of
money for them, but the judge made the point that it was not to
come from their customers, but from their profits. They insisted they
were doing things better now. Let us hope so. They certainly weren’t
just a year ago, when the smell of sewage floating up to a parish
councillor cycling over the bridge by Richer Sounds prompted the
PC to send Thames Water a stern letter.
Sustainable Botley
This new group which has
come into existence to do
what we can collectively to
reduce the local impact on
the climate crisis, met
recently to formalise its name
and aims, and to decide on a
programme of action. The
aims were twofold, and not
complicated:
To work to improve our
environment in Botley,
North Hinksey and the surrounding area and
To support local engagement with the climate and ecological
crisis.
In the short term, there will be tree planting on the Upper Memorial
Field at 11am on 5th December. Trees are available for gardens as
well, and ideas for further planting are invited. Next year we will
address issues around energy saving in the home, thinking about
how to reduce our carbon footprints without breaking the bank, and
what options might be available when gas boilers are no longer
permitted. Presumably grants will become available. There is a lot of
local knowledge to draw on, which is just as well, because we’ll
need all the help we can get! A repair café is being lined up, and we
also want to investigate water quality in and around Botley not just
the river, but all the little streams as well. If any of this interests you,
please get in touch, initially via editor@thesprout.org.uk, while an
email account is set up. For ways to join, see page xxx. (Photo
shows Botley at the climate march in Oxford on 6th November.)
Proposals for a Solar Farm ‘up the top’
Solar2, a British company with a handful of offices around the
country, are proposing to install a solar farm for a 21MW site in the
field on your left as you walk past the Jubilee Beacon. It could
produce around 7000 homes’ worth of clean renewable energy,
offsetting around 12,000 tonnes of carbon, or the equivalent of 2,600
cars’ worth of emissions. Hitherto, the two fields on either side of the
path have had swathes of oilseed rape and wheat, so the soil is not
currently in a good state.
The company are also looking at ecological improvements to the
site, which could include wildflower meadow planting, locally
managed beehives, and wildlife habitats for example, the muddy
bottom the field might be a suitable place for a pond. They aim for a
biodiversity net gain on site, which means that it will be more
improved for local plants and wildlife than it currently is (not hard!).
They intend to consult the public in November, with an in-person
exhibition at a local venue, and an online webinar to give local
people a chance to find out more and have their say.
The material they referenced
in their proposal suggests
they have a good
understanding of the need for
hedges, and it’s easy to see,
as one walks over that
windswept hill, that hedges
have been lost. A hedge by
the path, especially one that
was low and thick, so it did
not obscure the view, but with
the odd tree, would be of real benefit to wildlife and to the feel of the
place. Expect to hear more about this soon. (The photo shows the
community-owned solar an wind farm at Westmill, on the edge of the
county.)
LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P21/V3002/HH
20 October
TDD: 15 Dec
P21/V3015/LDP
21 October
TDD: 16 Dec
P21/V3098/LDP
1 November
TDD: 27 Dec
P21/V3123/FUL
3 November
Target D ecision
Date:
29 Dec
P21/V3149/HH
5 November
TDD: 31 Dec
P21/V3118/HH
8 November
TDD: 3 Jan
Randoms
Sprout Deliveries URGENT
Bhee and Robin are retiring after ten years of masterminding the
Sprout network of deliverers. This month will be their last. They will
be a hard act to follow, but the good news is that all their systems
are now in place, and don’t need to be reinvented. Is there someone
out there who can take over this vital job for February 2022 and
beyond? You don’t get paid, but you do get a warm glow to think that
you are playing a valued part in our community. It’s just one evening
a month, and without you the Sprout can’t function. Please get in
touch with editor@thesprout.org.uk if you think you can help.
Everyone will love you for it! Editor
Sustainable Botley
After three lively meetings over the past few weeks, we have decid-
ed what Botley needs is a local Community Action Group! Communi-
ty Action Groups (CAGs) bring together proactive people to help
create positive change in the local environment.
Our focus is on cost-effective, peaceful, proactive and positive
change starting at home. We will help each other take small steps
into a brighter, healthier, happier and more sustainable future.
Do you want to join us? We are still in the very early stages, so we
don’t have an email address yet. But you can get in touch with me,
Anita, for an informal chat, via the Sprout initially (editor
@thesprout.org.uk). We would love to hear from you.
Merry Christmas, Seasonal Greetings and Happy Holidays everyone!
Anita on behalf of Sustainable Botley CAG.
Botley W.I.
Building work is coming on well at the WI hall in North Hinksey Lane.
Our 7th December meeting will be a Christmas social with enter-
tainment from “Mother Folkers,” who have been rehearsing in our
hall. We will have light refreshments and visitors are welcome. We
shall have a Christmas flower workshop on 11th December with Ann
Dawson. We look forward to 4th January and a talk about the Tap
Social movement which brews and purveys “criminally good
beer” in their microbrewery in nearby North Hinksey industrial estate.
Call 07598 251161 for more details. Alison Jenner
Skate Park
The Skate Park has now gone out to tender via the official councils’
tendering platform, and
attracted interest from five
firms. One, which has been
building parks in Norway
for over ten years, and in
England for the past two,
turns out to have been set
up by someone who cut his
teeth (so to speak) on the
Botley Bowl. They sent us
this atmospheric photo of
him at the Bowl in 2005 (photo credit Alex Burrell).
Community Larder needs volunteers suit Duke of Edinburgh
award type, Scout or anyone community-spirited!
The Botley community larder provides low-cost food that would oth-
erwise be thrown away an environmental and social win-win
every Thursday afternoon at St
Peter & St Paul Church
Hall. We need a few more vol-
unteers for the 3:45--5:45pm
shift to join our excellent team.
The work involves helping lar-
der members to choose food
until 5pm, and then moving ta-
bles and crates of food into
storage. Volunteers must be
16+ or 14+ and enrolled on a
formal volunteering pro-
gramme. We also need a few
drivers to deliver food parcels
to people who are house-
bound. Anyone interested
should contact botleylar-
der@email.com. Thank you.
Doc Saman
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details
to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 710
Dean Court Community Centre Thur 67.30 Jean
Metson, firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 710
Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison
Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
mail@thefourth.org.uk Website:
http://www.thefourth.org.uk/
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Fridays, Cubs 6.30-8, Scouts 8-9.30, 1 Church Way, Botley
Amy Cusden (Cubs) 07887 654386, Tom Freeman (Scouts)
07837 623768 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk
Baby & Toddler Group
Tues/Thurs 9.1511, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
BikeSafe. B4044 community
path campaign
Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8
weeks. Contact via website B4044path.org
Books on Wheels R.V.S.
Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Brendan Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com
Botley Community Larder
Thursdays, 3.30 to 5.30 at St P&P Church Hall, West
Way, Facebook or email botleylarder@gmail.com
Botley and Kennington
Patients Participation Group
Second Tuesday in the Month, early evening. Contact
csugden@ocrpl.org
Botley Library
07922 849680. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,
otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).
Botley Seniors Lunch Club
Alternate Thursdays. Seacourt Hall. Jackie Warner
Ox.721386
Cumnor Choral Society
Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795 054142
or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com
Cumnor Chess Club
Thurs 79pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett
01993 684494 www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk
Cumnor & District
Historical Society
Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old
School. 01865 724808
Cumnor Gardening Club
http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or phone 01865
721026
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Wed 7.30 at Marcham Centre, OX13 6TY. Email us at
info@harmonyinspires.org to know more
Hill End Volunteer Team
Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org,
call 863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk
Lawn Tennis Club, N Hinksey
Family club Email: Tennis@OxfordSportsLTC.org
Let’s Sing! singing group
Weds 2pm, WOCC, Emily 07969 522368 or email
emformusic@outlook.com
Morris Dancing Cry Havoc
Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk
North Hinksey Preschool
and Childcare clubs
MonFri 7.45am6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email
nhps.manager1@gmail.com
N Hinksey Art Group
Weds 1012.00 W.I. Hall Christina 07931 707997
N Hinksey Bellringers
Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451
N Hinksey Conservation
Volun teers
Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr
07798743121 voirreyc@aol.com
N Hinksey, Friends of
Annual Cricket Match/ Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.
N Hinksey Parish Council
clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
N Hinksey Youth Club
Weds at LM pavilion, Daz: 07791 212866 or F’book
Oxford Flood Alliance
R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035
Oxford Flower Arranging Club
4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: Ox 865259
Oxford Harmony
Wednesdays 7.30 9.30 pm at Seacourt Hall,
Contact pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk
Oxford Otters
Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays,
twice monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420
Oxford Rugby Club
Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com
Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.
Raleigh Park, Friends of
raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk
Seacourt Hall Management
Committee
Contact Lottie White, 07452 960100, or see
https://www.seacourthall.org.uk
Shotokan Karate Club
6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450
Stagecoach Botley
Seacourt Hall, Saturdays 9:00am15:00pm
Performing Arts for 4-16 yr-olds. Call 01865 590 510
or 01235 390 810
Walking for Health
2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.50 Louie Memorial Field car
park, Arnolds Way. Alan 07941 610913
West Oxford Bowls Club
Contact details on
www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk
West Oxford Taekwon Do
Club
Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall
01865 570291 www.wotkd.co.uk
West Oxford U3A
(Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/
West Way Day Centre
Mon & Fri 103pm, Field House, 07740 611971.
oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Womens Institute (Botley)
Alison Jenner 07598 251161
alisonjenner@yahoo.com
Weight Watchers
Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Banso tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com
Baptist Hall
1 Church Way
Contact: Diane Melchert 01865 243664
hall rent botleybaptistchurch@gmail.com
The Rosary Room
Yarnells Hill, Elms Rise
Contact Maria Brown,
Te l : 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 7 9 8 6 .
SS Peter & Paul Church
Hall, West Way, Botley
Contact: 01865 242057 or
osneybenefice@outlook.com.
Women's Institute Hall,
North Hinksey Lane
Contact: Val Warner
Te l . 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 5 2 7 3
Seacourt Hall,
3 Church Way
Contact: Lottie White on 07452 960100,
or email admin@seacourthall.org.uk
Pavilion, Arnold’s Way,
Elms Rise, Botley
Contact: Darren Blase 241254
louiememorialpavilion@gmail.com
Oxford Rugby Club,
North Hinksey Village
Contact:. Mary Bagnall
mary.bagnall1@btinternet.com.
North Hinksey & Botley Churches
Times of Services (once resumed) and Contacts
St. Lawrence, Church of England, North Hinksey Lane
1st, 2nd, 4th Sunday, Sung Eucharist 11.30 a . m .
3 rd Sunday, Matins 11.30 am
St. Peter and St. Paul, Church of England, West Way
2nd Saturday each Month, 46pm Messy Church for children and carers
1st Sunday of the Month, 9.30am All Age service of Holy
Communion
All other Sundays, 9.30am Holy Communion with activities for children
Every Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion at Field House
Rev Clare Sykes, Tel. Ox 242345 or revclare@btinternet.com
Our Lady of the Rosary, Roman Catholic, Yarne lls Hill
Saturday 6.30 pm. Mass
Sunday 9.15 am Mass
Fr Lloyd. 07584 323915 dlloyd@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.
Botley Baptist Church, 1 Church Way
Sunday Service 11 am.
Wednesday Zoom Bible Study 7.30 p.m.
Choir practice Thursday 2p.m.
D Melchert, secretary 07847 62534 www.botleybaptistchurch.org
Calvary Chapel
Sunday services held at Botley School 10.3012 noon
Pastor Philip Vickery 01865 864498
calvarychapeloxford@yahoo.co.uk;
www.calvarychapeloxford.org.uk
Sprout
December 2021
Thur 2nd 12.30, Seacourt Hall, Botley Seniors Lunch Club
Fri 3rd 2-3pm, Missing Bean, District Councillor surgery
Sun 5th 11am, Louie Memorial upper field, tree planting
Thur 16th Seniors Lunch club, as above.
Thur 16th 7.30pm, Seacourt Hall, N Hinksey Parish Council
meeting
Tues 21st 10am-4pm, Ss Peter & Paul, bring donations for
hampers
Sat 25th Christmas Day. Oxford Christmas Lunch at the
King’s Centre is happening again this year,
everyone welcome. See their Facebook page for
details.
January 2022
Wed 5th New restaurant opening at last at West Way shops
Thus 6th 3.45 on, Botley School, open event for new parents
Mon 10th 2.30, Dean Court Community Centre, U3A talk: Hugh
Granger on ‘The Art of Deception in WW2’
Mon 24th 2.30, Dean Court Community Centre, U3A talk: Chris
Perrins, ‘Swan Upping on the River Thames’
More local events and information on www.botleyhinksey.org.uk